The registration of players for the European Universities Games, which will take place in Łódź nex year, has started. Student-athletes will compete in as many as 20 disciplines. This means that up to 6,000 players from all over Europe will take part in the Polish edition of the European Universities Games (EUG).
Students will compete in the largest academic sport event in Europe, from around 400 European universities, from at least 40 countries. For the first time at the EUG, students will compete in five types of martial arts. Athletes will compete for medals in karate, judo, muay thai, kickboxing and taekwondo.
The arenas of the Games will be the largest sports facilities in Łódź. Part of the competition is planned at the Zatoka Sportu of the Lodz University of Technology, which has the only indoor Olympic-size swimming pool in the voivodeship, where – apart from swimming competition – water polo competitions will be held. The facility will also use the so-called “Dry-zone” for badminton, futsal and sport climbing competitions. Students will also compete in city venues and those belonging to the Academic Sports Association. It is worth adding that the EUG Łódź 2022 will be inaugurated during the opening ceremony at the Atlas Arena in Łódź.
The competition is open to people aged 17-31, with active student status, representing their universities. Applications for the EUG Łódź 2022 are submitted by universities to national academic sports organizations. Universities from all over Europe may submit more than one team and more than one competitor in individual competitions. Details on registration can be found on the website of the local Games Committee (eug2022.eu/en/registration).
So far, the attendance record has been broken at the EUG 2016 in Zagreb and Rijeka, where over 5.5 thousand athletes competed. The Lodz University of Technology, the main organizer of the games, estimates that up to 6,000 participants will take part in the Polish edition of the EUG.
– „By organizing the EUG Łódź 2022, we send a clear message to academic circles from all over Europe, but also to future students that at the Lodz University of Technology, apart from a high level of education, you can develop your sports passions. An example is Kajetan Duszyński, an Olympian from Tokyo, who moved to our university from the Silesian University of Technology. Today he is a titled professional athlete, and at the same time a doctoral student at the Lodz University of Technology. We combine science and sport, which is the main idea of the European Universities Games – emphasizes prof. Krzysztof Jóźwik, rector of the Lodz University of Technology.
The Lodz University of Technology, with a well-developed sports infrastructure, already has experience in organizing events of national and international importance. Their portfolio includes, for example, the European Academic Volleyball Championships, and the Polish Diving Championships or the Winter Polish Swimming Championships.
The organizers of the EUG 2022 in Łódź ensure that they will create conditions not only for sports competition, but also for spending free time for players. It will be a great opportunity to show Łódź as one of the largest academic centers in the country, an interesting and attractive place for tourists.
The European Universities Games will be held in Łódź on July 17-30, 2022.
